“Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.”
Matthew 1:23
Throughout Scripture, many names are given to describe Jesus. Isaiah 9:6 prophesies that Jesus would be called “Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” As remarkable as these names are, none of them fully capture the wonder of God’s presence quite like the name Emmanuel. This incredible name, mentioned only three times in Scripture, carries with it a powerful message of hope, comfort, and infinite love.
Every day, it is painfully evident that we live in a sin-cursed world. Pain, trials, cruelty, injustice, suffering–the list could go on. All around us lie the brokenness and ruin caused by sin. As if that were not enough, we see our own flawed, fallen selves in the mirror each day and become easily discouraged by our sin and frailty. With all the brokenness in and around us, it may seem as though there is no reason for hope.
But this is simply not true.
Despite the pain that living in a sin-cursed world brings, there is reason to rejoice! We serve a God Who is with us. That is Who He is–He is Emmanuel. His gentle, gracious heart could not sit by as a world stumbled blindly in darkness and sin. In an act of pure love, the God Who created and named each star in the sky stepped down from His heavenly throne. In a humble stable, lying in a humble manger, born into a humble family, the King of kings became a babe.
He became Emmanuel–God with us.
Jesus bridged the gap between us and God. He closed the distance between our sin and God’s perfection by becoming a man and dying as a sinless sacrifice. He has indwelt every believer, literally becoming God with us.
Regardless of what this year has brought into your life, it brings great comfort to reflect on the truth that God is with us. He does not stand afar off, distant and aloof, watching as we try to figure life out on our own. No, God is with us. He is standing by our side, leading us each step of the way, picking us up when we fall, holding us in His unfailing arms, embracing us in His love, and covering us with His grace.
Indeed, God is with us.
Only our omniscient God knows what we will experience in the coming year. Times of great joy or deep sorrow may await us. Yet in every situation, every day, and every moment, we can have the calm assurance that God is near. Whatever we go through, God will go through it with us.